qt Rust-Oleum 65341 Black Walnut Watco Danish Oil Finish

Watco oil has been disappearing from many retailers so I ordered from Amazon. Since I was first introduced to Watco oil it has become my go to finish for all woods. It is not a high gloss top coat but a penetrating oil. I built a shelf for my shower in the early 80's and it is still in good shape with maybe only 2 touch-ups in that time. It gets wet every day. The method I was taught is: Sand to 100 grit. Then , apply oil with a paint brush and keep all surfaces wet for at least 30 minutes. Then wipe off excess with a clean rag ( old bed sheets are perfect). Let wood dry for a minimum 24 hrs (I used to wait a week) . Apply a 2nd coat and wet sand oil with 400 grit on a sanding block. Remove excess oil and monitor for oil bleeds for 4 -5 hrs. Let dry another 24 hrs or more. Lastly, apply Watco _"Wax"__,(I always use Dark, don't like the light) and wet sand wax with 600 grit, again using a sanding block. After 10 - 20 minutes buff the wax, a power tool is best but it is possible by hand. You now have a beautiful finish that will last for decades. If a scratch or dent happens you can sand , oil, and re-wax affected area without having to refinish the whole surface. If you prefer a high gloss finish, leave out the wax step, let oil dry for a week and you can apply Lacquer, poly, or even paint. Do not use Watco indoors! Until it fully cures (about a week) it has a very strong odor. Do not dry pieces in the sun, heat will make it bleed a lot. It seems like a lot of work, but entirely worth it.

Watco has been my go-to for years. We've refinished a bedroom set, bookcase, knife block and other items - and they all look amazing. My favorite part is - when they need a refresh - just a little steel wool and a wipe down - and you can add another coat to refresh the color. I refinished the bedroom set in 1992. Refreshed after we relocated to AZ and moved into our 2nd home where this became the guest room furniture in 2000. Refreshed it for the college kid in 2019. Yep. It's that good. No stripping. No chemicals. No varnish. No wax. All awesomeness.

Watco oils do tend toward excessively golden on some woods even when using their darkest, brownest stains so for making something like oak dark I use some charcoal alcohol/water based dye first, let it dry so only the dye pigment is left with no liquid, and then apply Danish oil. It cuts the overly golden oak color that many are tired of seeing added everywhere. This is not an issue with something like pine. It does require a sealant of some kind if you want to avoid the wood remaining absorbent. Simply soaking it with more thick layers of Danish oil won't work. To reach the limit of what the wood will absorb results in excess oil creating a tacky surface and it will never cure. Wiping on thin layers repeatedly instead of flooding it and wiping off the excess is more efficient and gives a better finish. It only takes about 10 minutes to absorb enough you can wipe on another thin layer until you have the desired shade and saturation of the wood with no need to clean or sand between. Just make it wet looking each coat instead of standing liquid puddles and you won't have as long of wait time to cure, less wasted oil, and no risk of a tacky finish from not removing the excess sufficiently or quick enough before it's too dry to easily wipe away.

This is really special stuff. I undertook a project to touch up and repair an older dining room and bedroom set. Bought well over a Hundred Dollars worth of all types of wood stain. Got penetrating stains, varnish stains, a whole punch of stuff. In the end, nothing is as good as this stuff. Goes on easily with a brush or a wiping cloth. Very forgiving. Made just about everything look like new. Almost all the other stains gave us a lot of trouble, blending in with the existing finish. The only consideration may be that if you want it to stay looking new longer, you might need a clear finish on top. (Watco make a clear oil finish for a topcoat too.) All in all, great stuff.

Easy to use, great coverage and color. Dries evenly if applied as directed. Price was good compared to other sellers.

Very good product.

One coat finish.

I like the color and the look, it's hard to go wrong with this one, dries fairly fast and the smell fades fairly quickly as well; keep in mind the material you use to apply it makes a difference, can't really suggest one at the moment since I'm still testing, but so far I have gotten good results with a lint-less rag.